Give Me a Reason
by FleurHartz
Summary: A R/H story where Ron has to make a huge decision and sticks Hermione with an ultimatum. It's the beginning of a two parter, I hope you all like it. Please r/r, and Merry almost Christmas to you all!


Give Me a Reason  
  
Disclaimer: (I've kinda forgot to put these on all my other stories. Whoops!) Nothing belongs to me, it all belongs to the genius J.K. Rowling. There, happy?  
  
A/N- This is a beginning of a two-parter that is very much R/H. I hope all of you like it, please review!  
  
It was halfway through our sixth year when it happened. The day that changed everything started off innocently enough. It was a Friday, a particularly cold one. Ice had made the window s practically opaque. The snow had piled up so high that Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures were both cancelled. Feeling in remarkably good spirits, mostly because it was almost Christmas, Harry, Ron and I went down to breakfast. The Great Hall's ceiling was a muted gray. We seated ourselves at the Gryffindor table, and soon the Owl Post arrived.  
The owls were all flying rather slowly, icicles on some of their beaks. Errol landed next to Ron, holding a letter. Ron hardly ever got any mail. We all looked on curiously as Ron opened up the letter. Raising my goblet to my lips, I started reading over his shoulder. But I dropped it with a resounding clang when I saw what the letter said.  
  
Ron-  
This is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. Your father has been offered a much higher position, a much higher paying one, in the American Ministry of Magic. As you know, our family is barely making ends meet. We can't afford the Burrow any longer. We can't afford to put all of you through Hogwarts. This position that your father has been offered will pay for our airfare to a home in America, probably in a state called California. It will be much smaller, but we can afford it. There is a school of magic in America that all of you could attend, and with your father's new position, we could easily pay for you and Ginny to finish up your education. Percy has decided to get a job alongside your father in America. But you do have one more option. Fred and George have decided to stay in England with their joke shop, that is doing very well. A man in Hogsmeade offered them a very small home that is located in Hogsmeade. They will pay their own way though. But they offered, if you're interested, that you could live with them. You could get a job in Hogsmeade as well, and pay your share of the rent. But I know that Ginny, your father and I would miss you terribly. Ginny does not know this yet. Please inform her, she'll take it better coming from you. I know how hard a decision this must be to make. But please send a reply with your answer as soon as possible. I love you and hate to put you through this. Please understand that I wouldn't put you through this by choice.   
Much Love,  
Mum  
  
Ron's face was completely pale. Harry and I had nothing to say.  
"How the hell can she put something like this on me?" He finally said, angrily crumpling the letter in his fist.  
Just then, Ginny walked by with some of her friends.   
"Ginny, wait. We need to talk." Ron said harshly.  
"Ron, please. Don't take it out on her." I said quietly.  
He ignored me, walking over to a confused Ginny.  
I looked over at Harry. I was surprised when I saw his green eyes were filled with tears.   
"Harry-" I started to speak.  
But Harry had left his chair and ran off before I could say anything else.  
As I sat there alone, I started to sort out my feelings about all this. Ginny, my only friend who was a girl, was leaving. Soon. Ron, my best friend for six years, could be leaving as well. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who were practically my second parents, were going to leave as well. Tears started spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. Looking determinedly down at my food, my tears fell freely. No one seemed to notice.  
I suddenly heard someone else crying as well. Drying my eyes with the back of my hand, I turned around to see a distraught Ginny. She was sobbing uncontrollably as Ron was speaking to her. She turned and dashed out of the Great Hall. And Ron was left by himself, arms hanging wearily at his sides.  
I got up and went over to him.  
He looked up at me, looking close to tears himself, but determined not to cry.  
"Hermione, what am I going to do?" He asked helplessly.  
"I don't know, Ron. I have no idea." We left the Great Hall side by side, lost in our thoughts.  
Ron and I walked up to the common room in silence. When we reached it and entered through the portrait hole, I saw Fred and George standing over by the fireplace, talking to Ginny.  
They all looked up and saw Ron. Fred motioned him over sullenly.  
I walked over with him.  
"So what do you think, Ron? Going to stay here with us?"   
I watched him anxiously.  
"How can all of you expect me to make a decision like that? Choose between my own family?"  
"Well, it's not like we have another choice, Ron!" George said angrily.  
It occurred to me suddenly that I had never heard either of the twins in anything but high spirits.  
"It's so strange to think that one day I live with three brothers and now I might be an only child." Ginny said, her voice breaking mid-sentence.  
I put an arm around her shoulder as she started to cry again.  
"Let us know by tomorrow, Ron. Go to America with Ginny, mum and dad or stay here in England with us. What's it going to be?" Fred left with those words, George behind him.  
Ginny looked over at Ron.  
"I'd really miss you if you stayed, Ron. I'd miss you a lot." She got up as well, her body racked with sobs as she headed towards the girl's dormitories.  
Ron looked at me desperately.  
"I don't know what to do, Hermione! I don't know what to do." He was cut off as he choked back his tears.  
He wiped his eyes, annoyed with his own sensitivity, and then left for his dormitory. I sat alone, extremely confused.  
Harry looked up as Ron entered. His green eyes were red and bloodshot.  
"Harry, what do you think I should do?" Ron asked, needing advice desperately.  
"Well, of course I want you to stay, Ron. But it doesn't matter what I want. What matters is what you think you should do."  
"I don't bloody know what I should do! I want to stay here at Hogwarts with you and Hermione! But I want to go to America with my parents and Ginny! There's no way I could possibly decide!"  
Harry said nothing.  
"Well, don't you have anything to say?"Ron demanded.  
"No, I don't! This is something you're going to have to decide."  
"Fine! I just thought you might want to help me decide, because if I leave, you've lost your best friend!"  
"You don't think I know that, Ron?" Harry shouted.  
"What, do you think I should go?"  
"If that's what you want to do!"  
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. I can't believe that you don't want me to stay!" Ron yelled back.  
"I never said that! Stop twisting my words around!"  
"I don't have to listen to this." Ron muttered, stomping out of ther room.  
Harry felt that he had no right to make Ron stay. It would be best for the Weasleys if Ron went to America. He knew that. And even though it would tear him apart, he didn't feel like it would be right for him to make Ron stay. Even if it meant losing his best friend.  
That night, Ron sat in the common room, unable to sleep. The hours were quickly passing, drawing him closer and closer to the hardest decision of his life. He buried his face in his hands. Harry's reaction had brought him close to thinking he should possibly go. Honestly, if his friends didn't want him here, why stay?  
Just as he was thinking this, he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned around to see me, standing there in a blue night robe.  
"Ron, we need to talk."I said softly.  
"I think I've almost decided." Ron replied.  
"You have."I stated, my heart thumping.  
"I think I'm going to leave. Harry practically told me that he wanted me too. And if my friends don't want me here, why stay?" Ron looked at his feet.  
I sat down beside him.  
"Don't you care what I think about all this?"  
"I just thought you'd agree with Harry. It would be the sensible thing to go. And you always like the sensible solution to things." Ron looked up at me, his blue eyes questioning.  
"Ron, this isn't a Arithmancy problem! This is about you and me!" I suddenly exploded, before really thinking about what that could mean.  
"Y-You and me?" Ron looked a little surprised.  
"Yes. I don't want you to go, Ron. I can't let you leave." Tears were now flowing freely doing my face.  
"Hermione, I'm leaving. Unless you give me a reason to stay." Ron suddenly took my face in his hands.  
I put my hands on his, our eyes locked. Faced with this ultimatum, I knew exactly what I was going to say.  
  
A/N- Wow, my first cliff hanger! Those are fun! Did you like it? I hope ya'll want a second part, because I think this story without a doubt needs one. Tell me what you thought when you review. (Note the WHEN. It's not an option, people! j/k. But please review, or Bah Humbug to you! Merry almost Christmas to you all!)  



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